Valve spring compressor



Nov. 22, 1966* N. PETERS 3,235,330

7 VALVE SPRING COMPRESSOR Filed Jan. 11, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l 32 |||-'{J 66 46 i 56 gamma: 54 48 g r v r 1 Fig. 2 Fig. 6

Nick Pe fers l N VEN TOR.

Attorney:

Nov. 22, 1966 N PETERS 3,286,330

VALVE S PRI NG C OMPRES SOR Filed Jan. 11, 1965 Fig. 3

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nick Peters 1 N V EN TOR.

United States Patent() 3,286,330 VALVE SPRING COMPRESSOR Nick Peters, Box 117, Wolf Point, Mont. Filed Jan. 11, 1965. Ser. No. 424,681 8 Claims. (Cl. 29-219) 'This invention relates to a novel and useful valve spring compressor and more specifically to an appaartus designed readily fabricated and mass produced at a lower cost. In

addition, the valve spring compressor of the instant invention is constructed in a manner whereby it may be actuated from a remote location and by means of a remotely disposed control assembly, which control assembly is operatively connected to a suitable motive force for operating the valve spring compressor.

The main object of this invention is to provide a valve spring. compressor which will be capable of supporting substantially all types of poppet valved engine heads and compressing the valve springs of the head in a manner enabling the valve mechanism of the engine supported from the heads to be completely dismantled.

Another object of this invention, in accordance with the immediately preceding object, is to provide a valve spring compressor including means by which the valve spring compressor may be operatively activated to compress the valve springs of the associated engine head by the operation of a readily operable control actuator therefore disposed in a remote location.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a valve spring compressor including structural components which more readily adapt it to be utilized in conjunction with substantially all types of poppet valved engine heads.

Another object of this invention is to provide a valve spring compressor of the type disclosed in the above aforementioned patent by including releasable ratchet means for releasably securing the articulated end portion of one of the lever arms in adjusted rotated position relative to the remainder of the lever arm from which it is supported.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a valve spring compressor in accordance with the preceding objects which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simply construction and easy to use so as to provide a device which will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively troublefree in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of the valve spring compressor of the instant invention;

FIGURE 2 is an end elevational view of the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 1 and as seen from the right side of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 33 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of the valve spring compressor more clearly illustrating Patented Nov. 22, 1966 t3he structural components thereof illustrated in FIGURE FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of done of the lever arms of the valve spring compressor; an

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the valve spring compressor illustrating the structural details by which a major adjustment of the valve spring compressor may be carried out.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates the valve spring compressor of the instant invention. The valve spring compressor 10 includes a stand generally referred to by the reference numeral 12 and defining a table-like structure including a plurality of depending legs 14 interconnected at their upper ends by means of a peripheral open frame 16 including a pair of opposite side members 18 and a pair of opposite end members 20.

The legs 14 are interconnected by means of a pair of transverse braces 22 and the transverse braces 22 are interconnected by means of a longitudinal brace 24.

The side members 18 are generally L-shaped in transverse section as can best be seen from FIGURE 3 of the drawings and define a slot 26 therebetween with which the poppet valves 28 of the engine head 30 are registered.

The end members 20 have a pair of upstanding end plates 32 secured thereto in any convenient manner such as by fasteners 33 and the end plates 32 are interconnected by means of a pair of upper longitudinal braces 34. In addition, a pair of mounting plates 36 are also secured to the end members 20 by means of fasteners 38. A support shaft 40 including a non-cylindrical midportion 42 and generally cylindrical opposite end portions 44 is oscillatably supported from the mounting plates 36 and it may be seen that the right end of the support shaft 40, as viewed in FIGURES 1 and 6, has an operating lever 46 secured thereto including a locking pin 48 which is registerable with and receivable in a selected one of the plurality of locking apertures 50 formed in the adjacent mounting plate 36. The actuating lever 46 includes a hand portion 52 to facilitate its operation.

With attention now directed more specifically to FIG- URES'l and 3-5, it may be seen that a pair of mounting plates 54 and 56 are secured to opposite end portions of a sleeve 58 in any convenient manner such as by welding 59 and that the sleeve 58 is slidably but non-rotatably mounted on the non-cylindrical midportion 42 of the shaft 40 for moving longitudinally therealong and for oscillation therewith. A pair of lever members 60 and 62 are pivotally supported between the plates 54 and 56 by means of suitable pivot pins 64 and 66 which are selectively receivable in suitable bores 68 and 70, respectively, provided therefor in the plates 54 and 56.

The lever members 60 and 62 have sets of longitudinally spaced apertures 72 and 74, respectively, formed in one pair of corresponding end portions and an extendable fluid motor 76 is pivotally secured between the one pair of corresponding ends of the lever members 60 and 62.

The end of the lever member 62 remote from the extendable motor 76 includes an upwardly projecting terminal end portion 78 which is adapted to engage the head portion 80 of the poppet valve 28.

The lever member 60 includes a first section 82 including a bifurcated end remote from the apertures 72 and defining a pair of furcations 84 and 86 having pairs of aligned apertures 88 and 90 formed therethrough. A second section 92 of the lever member 60 is also provided and includes one end portion defining a toothed arcuate end edge 94, the toothed end also being apertured as at 96. The toothed end is pivotally supported between the furcations 84 and 86 by means of a pivot fashioner 98 and is held in position by means of a ratchet detent 100 pivotally supported between the furcations 84 and 86 by means of a pivot fastener 102 and including a tooth portion 104- yieldingly urged into engagement with the toothed end edge 94, the second section by means of a compression spring 106. The second section 92 includes a pair of stiff but somewhat resilient arms or members 108 and 110 which are secured to the second section 92 by means of a suitable fastening pin 112 and a retaining shaft .114. In addition, a thumb screw 116 is journalled in the arm 108 and threadedly engaged in the arm 110, there being a compression spring 118 disposed between the extended end portions of the arms 108 and 110.

In operation, the extended end portions of the arms 108 and 110 which are generally C-shaped as at 120 and 1122, respectively, are brought into engagement with the upper valve spring keepers 124 for an actuation of the expandable fluid motor 76 whereupon the keeper locks 126 may be readily removed. It is, of course, to be understood that the projection 78 is engaged with the head portion 80 of the valve 28 thereby preventing the latter from shifting downwardly as the keeper 124 is urged downwardly and the valve spring 128 is compressed. As each set of keeper locks 126 are removed, the extendable fluid motor 76 may be de-activated and then the sleeve 58 may be slid longitudinally of the support shaft 40 so as to align the lever members 60 and 62 with the next valve which is to be worked upon.

A generally U-shaped stop 132 is provided and limits downward swinging movement of the forward end of the lever member 62 from which the lateral extension 78 projects. In addition, the extensible fluid motor is operatively communicated with a foot actuated fluid pump 134 by means of a flexible conduit 136 and therefore the fluid motor 76 may be actuated as desire-d by the foot of a Workman standing in front of the valve spring compressor 10.

The upper and lower ends of the fluid motor 76 are pivotally secured to the corresponding ends of the lever member 60 and 62 by means of :pivot pins 138 and 140 and a pair of expansion springs 14-2 and 144 are secured between the pins 138 and 140. Still further, it may be seen that the pivot pin or shaft 138 is passed through a selected one of the apertures 72 and also the registered apertures 150 formed in the furcations 152 nd 154 carried by the upper end of the piston rod portion 156 of the fluid motor 76. Accordingly, the point of pivotal connection of the fluid motor 76 relative to the lever member 60 may be adjusted as may be the point of pivotal connection of the fluid motor 76 to the lever members 62. In addition, the axis of rotation of the lever member 60 and 62 relative to the plates 54 and 56 may also be adjusted and the angular inclination of the extension or second section 92 may be readily adjusted relative to the first section 82 of the lever member 60.

The foreging is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and de scribed, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A valve spring compressor comprising a stand including means adapted to support a cylinder head assembly including overhead valves in an upright position with the heads of said valves disposed lowermost, a generally horizontal support shaft supported from said stand, a pair of lever members, means pivotally securing said lever members from said shaft for rotation about axes generally paralleling said shaft and including pairs of vertically spaced corresponding opposite end portions spaced laterally outwardly of opposite sides of said shaft, means carried by one pair of corresponding end portions of said lever members adapted to engage a head portion and a valve spring retainer of one of said valves, and force means connected between said lever members for effecting pivotal movement of said lever members relative to said shaft.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said stand includes means supporting said shaft from said stand for rotation about an axis generally paralleling said shaft, and means connected between said shaft and said stand releasably securing said shaft in adjusted rotated position.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said means pivotally supporting said lever members from said shaft includes means for adjustably laterally positioning at least one of the axes of rotation of said lever members relative to said shaft.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said means pivotally supporting said lever members from said shaft includes means for adjustably laterally positioning both axes of rotation of said lever members relative to said shaft.

5. The combination of claim :1 wherein one end portion of said one pair of corresponding end portions of said lever members includes an elongated terminal end portion pivotally secured to the remainder of said one end portion for oscillation about an axis generally paralleling the axis of rotation of said shaft, and means connected between said terminal end portion and said remainder of said one end portion releasably securing said terminal end portion in adjusted rotated position relative to said remainder.

'6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said means connected between said terminal end portion and said remainder include means establishing a one-Way ratchet connection between said terminal end portion and said remainder.

7. The combination of claim 1 wherein said force means comprises a extensible fluid motor connected between said lever members.

8. The combination of claim 7 wherein said force means is connected between the other pair of end portions of said lever members.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,524,949 10/ 1950 Applegate 129-219 2,527,555 1 0/1950 King et a1 29-Z19 2,662,275 '12/19513 Peters 29-219 WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner. J. C. PETERS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A VALVE SPRING COMPRESSOR COMPRISING A STAND INCLUDING MEANS ADAPTED TO SUPPORT A CYLINDER HEAD ASSEMBLY INCLUDING OVERHEAD VALVES IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION WITH THE HEADS OF SAID VALVES DISPOSED LOWERMOST, A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL SUPPORT SHAFT SUPPORTED FROM SAID STAND, A PAIR OF LEVER MEMBERS, MEANS PIVOTALLY SECURING SAID LEVER MEMBERS FROM SAID SHAFT FOR ROTATION ABOUT AXES GENERALLY PARALLELING SAID SHAFT AND INCLUDING PAIRS OF VERTICALLY SPACED CORRESPONDING OPPOSITE END PORTIONS SPACED LATERALLY OUTWARDLY OF OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID SHAFT, MEANS CARRIED BY ONE PAIR OF CORRESPONDING END PORTIONS OF SAID LEVER MEMBERS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE A HEAD PORTION AND A VALVE SPRING RETAINER OF ONE OF SAID VALVES, AND FORCE MEANS CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID LEVER MEMBERS FOR EFFECTING PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID LEVER MEMBERS RELATIVE TO SAID SHAFT. 